Faint Smile
by Rainy Meadows
Summary: Their meetings were brief and far-between, but both of them left an impact on one another that reached deeper into their lives than either of them could realise. Rated T because it contains some gore, but nothing out of the ordinary for Claymore.


**A/N: In canon Teresa stated that her hair prior to becoming a warrior was black and her eyes were dark, which is why they are described as such in this story. Much information about Junjie's backstory is based on posts from asktheeasternguardian and may not be canon to Slugterra. With that in mind, please enjoy.**

* * *

With his hands before his abdomen, he breathed.

His body was a single unit, not composed of sections, and his movements were to flow from one to another, gentle yet swift. He knew he would have to do this every single morning if he was to improve.

Eyes closed, his right leg remained straight as it slid back and he lowered himself with his left leg bent, raising one arm and assuming what some in the dojo referred to as the Parting Mane stance. Still trying to focus, he moved back and straightened his legs until-

He couldn't concentrate. Someone was watching him.

He opened one eye and saw a little girl standing in front of him. She couldn't have been more than six years old, with wild locks of wavy black hair and wide, innocent eyes dark enough to almost be the same colour. She seemed fascinated by the way he was moving.

No matter. He could easily do just as well with an audience (there always seemed to be a couple of slugs that were curious about his behaviour).

He steadied his breathing and leaned forward, pushing his hands forwards and-

-opened his eye again.

The girl was still there, only now she was by his side and copying his stance. Her face was scrunched up, as if she was straining.

'Is that what I look like when I concentrate?' he pondered.

In any case, if this girl really was determined to emulate his movements, he decided he may as well try to enjoy himself.

His movements, while still swift and graceful, doubled in speed. With his long hair flailing around his body, he pulled his arms back and swung his legs around, and when he stood on only one foot, he paused and checked on the child.

She was still copying him, but wavered unsteadily.

It was rather like a dance, he considered as he resumed. A dance to music that existed only in his mind. His body was like water, flowing from one position to another as smoothly as silk, and he didn't even feel out of breath yet.

A thump beside him snapped him from his blissful trance.

"Are you alright?" he asked.

The little girl looked up at him with dirt on her face.

"I noticed you were trying to copy me," he said as he helped her stand up. "Why did you do that?"

"You looked cool," she said. "I was wondering if I would look cool too."

He couldn't help but smile.

"Well," he said, "first of all, I do _not_ scrunch up my face like that."

"Yes you did."

"No I didn't."

"You did! You did earlier! I saw you!"

It wouldn't reflect well on him if he continued this silly argument. He straightened up and gestured to the cavern around them.

"This world is filled with magical energy," he explained. "In the art of Slug Fu, you must learn to feel this energy and channel it. By utilising this skill, you can raise yourself to the level of the slugs and their power, and in doing so, steer their movements to your will. Observe."

He crouched down and rested one hand on the ground. He could sense the energy flowing through it beneath him, and noticed how it concentrated in a single place, moving under his feet. He took a deep breath and relaxed, allowing the power to flow through his body and soul, and then...

He pulled upwards and an Armashelt popped up out of the ground at his feet, dizzy from the impact.

"Oh," he said sadly when he saw it. "That's disappointing. It's supposed to come out all the way."

"That's _amazing!_"

The little girl's eyes were wide with excitement.

"Can you show me how to do that?!" she asked.

"Sadly, no," he confessed. "I've been training for ten years now and I'm still not a master."

"But you're gonna be a master, right? Then can you show me?"

"Maybe," the teen replied with a faint smile.

Behind him, inside the building, a loud bell began to ring. He straightened up.

"The morning bell," he said. "Lessons are about to begin. I must go."

He turned and started running to the gates.

"Wait!" the little girl said behind him. "What's your name?"

He paused and looked back, dark eyes glinting as they had for the fifteen years he had walked the world.

"It's Junjie," he replied.

* * *

Leaning against the wall, he listened.

He could hear the sounds of metal against metal. Somebody was rifling through their weapons collection. Then he heard whooshing noises, as of a sword being swung through empty air.

"Ready, Joo-Joo?" he asked quietly.

The Infurnus saluted and jumped into his waiting blaster, and he swung round the doorframe and aimed at the intruder with a shout of a single word:

"Halt!"

The intruder halted.

"Turn to face me," Junjie commanded.

The command was obeyed, and the slinger was alarmed to discover that their apparent would-be thief was a preteen girl, wearing simple light grey clothes and wavy black hair tied up in a ponytail. Junjie got the feeling that he'd seen her before, but that last time she had certainly not been wielding a yanmaodao.

"Who are you?" he asked. "What are you doing here?"

The girl screamed and ran at him with every intent to impale him to the wall, but he stepped aside and seized her hands as she reached him.

"The yanmaodao is not a thrusting weapon," he said.

She lost her grip on the sword and pushed herself out of his grasp. Junjie allowed Joo-Joo to jump onto his shoulder before examining the blade.

"When using a yanmaodao, you must keep your grip loose," he explained. "They are built for slashing and cutting. If you tried to use this for traditional swordplay, it would shatter."

"Thanks for the advice," said the girl with a sly smile. "I'll make sure to remember that."

Junjie placed the yanmaodao down and picked up a different blade.

"The zhanmadao is a two-handed weapon originally made to take people off their mechabeasts," he explained. "Perhaps you may find it preferable if that is to be your fighting style."

He held it out for her to take.

"You do know I'll attack you, right?" she said.

"I would be surprised if you didn't," replied Junjie.

She took the sword and stepped back. It was obvious she was preparing to strike. Joo-Joo glanced at Junjie in alarm.

"Don't worry, Joo-Joo," the slinger replied calmly. "I would not allow her to challenge me if I didn't think I could defeat her."

The girl raised the sword. She was putting on a brave and determined face, but it was obvious she was straining under the weapon's weight. She was only eleven years old at most, so how could she not?

Junjie assumed the stance of the slug-cat, preparing himself for her charge.

She ran forward, but the slinger ducked under the blade and jabbed his fist into her stomach. She gasped hoarsely, dropped the sword and collapsed.

Joo-Joo's eyes widened in horror.

"Relax," said Junjie as he laid her on the floor. "I have no reason to kill a child."

The Infurnus sighed in relief.

While the girl lay stunned, Junjie placed the swords back where they belonged. It was astounding, he considered, that a child would be able to break into this place unnoticed. It was even more amazing that she would be able to lift one of these weapons, let alone wield it.

Then again, he hadn't left the dojo very much in the past five years. Maybe young people were growing stronger and he hadn't realised.

As he laid the zhanmadao on its rack, the girl groaned.

Now Junjie was even more surprised. How could she be waking up already?

"Why didn't you kill me?" she asked. "I'm an intruder, aren't I?"

"Maybe," Junjie said calmly, "but you're still only a child."

He sat down in front of her.

"Why did you break into this place?" he asked. "Were there not easier ways to acquire weaponry? Weaponry more suited to a child like you?"

The girl frowned.

"I heard this place had the best swords in the world," she confessed. "I wanted to get one to defend my cavern."

"Your cavern?"

"Bandits keep coming and taking our food and stuff. What was I supposed to do? None of you dojo people can be bothered to-"

"We are still in training," Junjie pointed out.

The girl's face was one of horror.

"Still?!" she exclaimed. "It's been five years! How are you not done yet?!"

Junjie would have replied, but the girl's shout had him alarmed. Five years? So they _had_ met? But he would definitely have remembered if...

...no, there had been that morning, when he had demonstrated his Slug Fu skills...

"You're the girl who was copying me," he realised.

"Mm-hm," she said. "I wanted to get stronger so I could protect people, but they wouldn't let me into the dojo. Said I was too old. So if I can't be taught Slug Fu, I want to learn how to use a sword and protect people. I don't want to just be some useless damsel."

"You struck for me twice," Junjie pointed out. "The mere fact that a child of ten-"

"Eleven," the girl corrected.

"...eleven," Junjie corrected himself, "is able to lift one of these weapons, let alone wield it, is amazing. I feel that you could be a great warrior given practise."

The girl's face was one of amazement.

"Stand up," he ordered, and she stood.

Junjie also stood and walked over to a rack, then selected a simple jian and picked it up.

"We have more than enough weapons," he said as he approached the girl, "so I doubt a single sword will be missed."

He held it out.

The girl's eyes widened in amazement. She reached out and took the weapon from his hands.

"Remember," he said, "not to grip it too tightly, or else you may hurt yourself."

She hugged it close.

"Thank you," she said breathlessly.

"It is nothing," said Junjie. "I trust you can find your own way out?"

She nodded.

"Then take it," Junjie said, "and know that if I find you in here again, I won't be nearly so generous."

"I understand," the girl replied. "Thank you."

She turned around and made a beeline for the door.

"One more thing," said Junjie. "What's your name?"

The girl paused in the doorway and turned to him with a faint smile.

"Teresa," she said. "It's Teresa."

* * *

Junjie tightened his grip on his mecha as they leapt over a log and rocketed off a moss-covered rock.

"Easy," he muttered. "We're almost there!"

As if on cue, he was forced to shield his face with one arm as they crashed through a veritable wall of bushes and entered the next cavern.

'Kè Lái Mò Cavern,' he thought as he observed the village up ahead. 'Time to get to work.'

He heard shouting as he drew closer, interspersed with screaming and the occasional explosion of blaster fire. Making sure his mecha was safely hidden behind a building, he dismounted and looked around the corner.

Men with blasters were running everywhere, their pockets overflowing with gold and jewellery. Some were dragging women by the hair while they screamed to escape while in one corner a group had descended upon a single man and were pounding into him with their fists and feet.

The scene was sickening. Junjie felt disgusted to be witnessing it.

He strode into the square and fired a Phosphoro into the sky, and when the lights and explosions had faded away, the area around him was silent.

"Any person who wishes to leave this place unharmed may depart now," he shouted. "If you choose to stay, you choose to do battle with me, in which case I cannot guarantee your physical safety."

At the sound of a mocking laugh behind him, he looked round.

"Nothing to worry about, lads," said a sharp-faced man with roughly combed hair and a sword on his hip. "They must've called one of those dojo boys in to scare us off. A pretty notable thing about those folks is that they're not allowed to take lives. It gets drilled into their heads for decades."

He smirked at Junjie.

"Isn't it?" he asked.

"That is true," said Junjie, and allowed a Rammstone to jump into his blaster, "but there are no rules against dealing harm to those who-"

_BANG_

His legs folded beneath him and he collapsed to the ground, pain pounding in the back of his head, and the man in front of him drew his sword as he approached.

"You're always really dramatic too," he sneered. "So predictable."

Junjie tried to get up, but a heavy foot on his back pressed him back down.

"I doubt anybody's gonna care much if you-"

The bandit was cut off.

It probably had something to do with the blade that had just been thrust through his chest.

"That's not fair..." he choked, blood dribbling from the corner of his mouth. "It's... against the rules..."

The blade swept upwards, bisecting the upper half of his torso and neatly slicing his head in two. It was a very gruesome sight as his corpse fell, spewing blood, to the dusty ground.

The killer stepped forward, wiping the blood from her sword. Her hair fell in waves of rich black to her breasts and her slim body was clad in pale grey. She was incredibly and terrifyingly familiar.

"Perhaps," she said, in a voice that was as soft and gentle as the touch of smooth silk, "but I follow no rules except my own."

"Teresa..." Junjie realised.

Teresa smiled faintly as she brushed aside a Tazerling that had been fired at her with the flat of her blade.

"It's been a long time, Junjie," she said calmly.

Junjie took advantage of what was possibly the most eye-catching distraction ever to exist by firing his blaster up at the bandit who was holding him down. The Rammstone pounded into his chin and sent him flying, and Junjie leapt to his feet and quickly steered the slug into another of the bandits, who fell to the ground in an explosion of stolen money and jewels. A quick reload and an Arachnet later, three others were tightly restrained.

However, while Junjie went out of his way to keep the bandits alive, Teresa sliced through each and every one that accosted her as though they were barely there. Their blood splattered in torrents onto the ground, soaking it scarlet, and she still retained that peaceful, faint little smile which was far more distressing and unsettling than it was probably intended to be.

With the pair of them fighting in conjunction, it wasn't long before the attackers were either unconscious/restrained at Junjie's feet or dead and cold at Teresa's. Examining the carnage proved that not a single corpse was that of a slug.

Feeling the flames of fury freshly sprouting in his chest, Junjie approached her.

"I hate having to do this," she said. "I always end up making such a mess of everything."

"I did not provide you with that blade so that you could become a murderer," said Junjie. "Justice could easily have been served to these men. You did not have to kill them!"

"The crimes they had committed are already punishable by death," Teresa replied coldly. "All I did was speed up the process a little."

"A life is still a life," Junjie retorted. "Why could you not have passed them over to the dojo? It is their job to protect people. We could easily have taken care of this matter!"

When Teresa looked at him, her dark eyes were cold. It was clear that the enthusiastic little copycat girl had disappeared long ago.

"This was their second day in this place," she stated. "That leader I killed? He had already taken three women against their will before you arrived here. I would be interested to know what course of action you would have taken had you been in my place."

Junjie was taken aback. She couldn't have been any older than nineteen and yet she was already so ruthless.

"Teresa..." He felt lost for words. "Look, you-"

"Teresa!"

Two children came running out of a house - a boy and a girl - and they ignored the sea of blood and ran over to the woman. Upon reaching her, they both wrapped her in a tight hug.

"Hello, you two," she said happily, though Junjie got the feeling it was only a mask. "Is your mother alright?"

"She wanted to say thank you!" said the girl. "Did those men hurt you?"

"No, Mei," Teresa said. "I'm alright. What about you two?"

"I fought 'em off!" the boy declared proudly.

"I'm sure you did, Fu," said Teresa. "Now please find some grown-ups to help clean up this mess, okay? Let them know that Teresa and Junjie have taken care of things."

"Okay!" Mei said enthusiastically, and quickly led Fu away from the scene.

"Their father was one of those murdered," Teresa told the slinger with a solemn face. "Again, how would you have dealt with that matter? You've been in that dojo for over twenty years by now. Perhaps you didn't notice just how cruel this world has become."

Junjie sighed.

"Maybe they deserved execution," he said, "and maybe they didn't. I don't know, mostly because it isn't my decision to make, and neither is it yours. I was tasked with restraining and apprehending them. Nothing more. I am grateful for your assistance, but surely you understand that these sorts of matters should not be those that we take into our own hands."

Teresa nodded and sheathed her sword.

"I understand," she said. "Will you at least stay and help us clean up?"

It really was something of a mess. Definitely not the sort of thing to be left in a town with children.

"I will," said Junjie. "Even without the matter of morals, my masters would be suspicious if I were to return too soon."

Her soft smile was as worrying as it was warm.

"It'll be nice to catch up," she said.

"Indeed," said Junjie, wishing he could return her smile. "It certainly will."

* * *

"Leave no man, woman or child alive!" it commanded. "If you see a Fandango, take it! We need as many as we can get!"

It watched with satisfaction as a nearby house exploded with flames, accompanied by the screams of whatever worthless souls had been left inside. Another house became filled with screams as one of its men entered and continued the slaughter.

This really was a magnificent host. People respected and revered him. He was intelligent and quiet and physically brilliant. The Goon Doc had no clue why it hadn't sought this man out before, as he was clearly a more than perfect candidate for its control.

It was amusing how some still treated him as though he was still there. They called him Junjie and expected him to leave them alive or unhurt. Those tended to be the ones with the weakest and most pathetic of screams.

It paused at the feeling of yet another protest.

"You should have realised by now that there is no point in resisting," it told the original owner of its body. "I have already been in control of your form for years now. You do not know how much time has passed, do you?"

"Eleven years."

The voice was familiar. Not to the Goon, but to the man it possessed. It turned and saw a stunning beauty of a woman, with long locks of wavy black hair and hatred burning in her dark eyes. The firelight glinted on the blade of the sword she brandished.

"It's been eleven years since we last saw one-another, Junjie," she said. "Have you forgotten everything that was taught to you? Have you forgotten who you are? Why are you doing this?"

"He cannot respond," the Goon said smugly. "Junjie is a little indisposed right now, but his form is proving more than capable. Would you care for a demonstration?"

It positioned its body in a fighting stance. The woman did the same, aiming her blade at his neck.

"Teresa." The name appeared in the Goon's mind as its host cried it out in desperation. "That is the name you go by, is it not? And the fanciful epithet that Junjie has conjured for you; Teresa of the Faint Smile. If his memories serve me correctly, you are quite a swordswoman."

Her expression didn't change.

"Talents like yours would prove more than useful if utilised correctly," the Goon continued. "Perhaps you would like to consider employment? It would certainly be an excellent alternative to lying dead in the dirt."

Teresa's lips curled into a faint smile.

"No offence," she said, "but lying dead in the dirt would be preferable to working for the likes of you."

"Good," said the Goon. "Then you can die without any regrets!"

It lunged forward, making use of the blade shape of the blasters it bore, but was blocked by Teresa's sword. It struck again and again, more for the amusement of it than anything else, and it was all she could do to prevent the blows from hitting her. From the memories in its host's mind, it became clear that she was holding herself back by a considerable degree.

"What's the matter?" asked the Goon. "Don't tell me you're afraid of harming your precious friend!"

"Junjie!" Teresa cried in a commanding tone. "Just how long to you plan on allowing yourself to be used like this? Remember the power of being guardian of this realm! Of standing over all these people! Remember who you are and put up a fight!"

"A quaint little speech," the Goon sneered, "and it would otherwise be rather stirring, but I'm afraid he's quite helpless right now."

She stood her ground, holding her stance as her attacker pressed upon her and her blade was pushed closer and closer to her body. So focused was she on protecting herself that she barely even flinched when her own sword cut into the flesh on her chest, staining her pale clothes with a patch of brilliant crimson.

"Of course," said the Goon. "Jian blades are double edged, aren't they? I imagine this can prove quite troublesome for you. Let me make things easier for you and just kill you now!"

"Sorry," Teresa said, "but I've found something worth living for, and I'm not about to go dying in front of her."

She kicked her attacker away and aimed her blade in its direction.

"Release Junjie this instant!" she ordered. "Go back to where you came from and do not ever return!"

The host body fell to its knees before her.

"Teresa..."

The voice was faint, but human.

"Junjie," said Teresa. "You can hear me?"

"It hurts. Please help me, Teresa. I cannot take this anymore."

Teresa was alarmed, but didn't lower her guard.

"I want you to kill me. I want you to take my head. Please, Teresa. I want you to end it for me. I cannot stand this pain for another moment!"

She narrowed her eyes in suspicion.

"Junjie," she said, "are you sure? Is there no other way for me to free you besides your death?"

"No, there is not. I am sorry, Teresa, but I cannot do this. I cannot stand to watch you be hurt and know that it is my hands dealing the blows. End it for me, Teresa. Take my head. Please."

Teresa stared at him, kneeling with his head bowed. She knew she would likely never have an opportunity like this again.

"Very well," she said. "I'll grant you the mercy of a quick death. Our time together may have been brief, but I will always remember and treasure the moments we shared with one-another."

She levelled her blade at his neck.

"Goodbye, Junjie," she said.

She took a deep breath.

The blow hitting her hands came seemingly out of nowhere. It happened so fast that she didn't even realise, until it was too late, that her sword was no longer in her grasp.

"A loose grip," snarled the Goon with a grin as it curled its fingers around the handle.

The blade carved her body almost in two, straight up the centre of her torso from her hips to her neck, and her expression was one of horror as she collapsed to the ground with blood gushing from the immense gash. She was so shocked that she didn't even close her eyes as the last of her life ebbed away.

The Goon dropped the sword beside her.

"You may have been beautiful," it said, spitting the last word as though it was poisonous "but talents count for nothing when combined with such foolish traits as mercy or _love_."

"TERESA!"

A girl suddenly ran forward from behind a smouldering ruin. Her waist-length brown hair fell wildly about her thin body as she collapsed to her knees beside the body of the swordswoman.

"No!" she cried, tears gushing down her cheeks. "Please, no! Say something! Look at me! WAKE UP! _TERESA!_"

The Goon sneered at the sight. The girl was around ten years old and crying her eyes out over the corpse of this woman. It truly was pathetic.

"Sir."

The possessed person turned to face its soldier.

"No Fandangos in this cavern," they reported, "but we did manage to erase almost all traces of human life."

"Good," said the Goon. "Ready the mechas. We leave for Xīwàng cavern immediately."

"What about the girl?" asked a soldier.

When the ghoul looked, it saw that the small brunette had picked up the sword, but was struggling even to lift it, let alone brandish it. Her tear-streaked face was as furious as it was grief-stricken. The fires blazing nearby seemed all the more furious when reflected in her deep green eyes.

It was certainly amusing to see.

"Our plans will change," said the Goon. "Take her and set a course for the Outland Reach. It's time we put our terra portal to the test, and it looks like we've just gained the perfect testing subject."

The girl failed to hit the soldier who seized her by the hair and dragged her onward, but she kept a tight hold of the sword, all the while screaming the name of its late owner as she was pulled away from her, never to see her still-warm face again.

* * *

Junjie sat down on a nearby rock and tried to think about everything that had happened in the past couple of days.

In this realm, there were a total of 99 caverns, and unlike those that he had known in his home, many of them were completely different from one another. There was one made entirely out of ice (why would anybody consider that a safe location for a cinema?) and another that was a jungle, still more were given over to urban development while others were quieter and more residential. Some had monarchies while others seemed more democratic, and still others just flat out didn't have government. It was quite jarring to move from one to another in a hurry. It was like entering a whole new world.

Which, of course, was what he had done.

He was unsure how he understood the language that the residents spoke, but the mere fact that he was able to communicate with other people for the first time in decades had left him feeling like he had been brought back to life. Even if the current group that he communicated with the most were a little...

...unusual.

They were like a terrible joke of the sort people told when they'd had too much to drink, or after they had failed in a comedy class. A cave troll, a molenoid, a filming enthusiast and a teenage boy walk into a bar... and the bartender is reassured that the guardians of the realm are here to keep him safe. Yes, it was terrible.

Still, they were friendly. Eli especially seemed particularly empathetic towards his fish-out-of-water situation, though Junjie couldn't help but wonder if there was some reason behind it that he wasn't supposed to know about besides the mutual experience with the Goon Doc.

Well, almost mutual. That boy hadn't spent anywhere near as long as a host as Junjie had.

He rubbed his head as if doing so would aid in clearing it.

He barely even remembered how long he had spent in that monster's control. Twenty years? Twenty one? Long enough to lay waste to the entirety of the Eastern Realms, that was for sure. Not a single cavern had been missed in that rampage of destruction, not a single innocent soul had been spared, not a single slug had been collected without a painful transformation into a ghoul.

And Junjie had been helpless to stop it. Imprisoned, only able to watch through eyes that were no longer his own.

It was over. He had to remember that. He had been freed from the Goon's grasp and now his life was his own once more.

He closed his eyes and leaned forward, resting his head on his fingers, and tried to remember the faces of those whose lives he had taken. Even if it took him a hundred years or more, he had to remember them. Nobody else was alive who would if he was to die.

But as hard as he tried, there was only one face that returned to his mind.

"Teresa," he muttered.

Her image had been burned into his memory ever since that horrible day. The shock and horror in her face as he had carved her open, her shining hair spilling out as she hit the ground, the light fading from her eyes, the tears of the young girl who had cried over her broken body...

...and then he had taken that girl and forced her through the experimental terra portal. It had almost broken down due to lack of power and he had been forced to shut it down with her still inside before it exploded in his face. His last glimpse of that girl had been of her stumbling through the electrical maelstrom, clutching the sword like it was her lifeline, her hair shining almost white in the near-blinding light...

Had she survived?

He had no idea.

With the destruction that had been wrought, Junjie had no doubt that Teresa was still where he had left her. If only he could find a way home, he could give her a proper burial fit for the glorious warrior that she had proved herself to be.

"I'm sorry, Teresa," he found himself whispering. "I wish I could have saved you."

He wiped his eyes. If one of his new friends came to bring him in, it wouldn't reflect well if he was seen crying.

But before he had a chance to move, something rustled the undergrowth behind him.

He reached for his bandoleer, but it was empty. His slugs were still back in the Shane residence, adjusting to existence without the Goon's influence. If this was a threat, he was going to have to fend it off with his own two hands.

He stood up, but when he looked round, he saw nothing.

"Who is there?" he asked. "If you wish to fight me, you do so at your own risk."

He was met with silence.

Then a figure exploded out of the bushes and he only just raised his arms in time to guard himself against the shining blade that had been thrust in his direction.

'A sword?' he realised. 'But only Teresa fought with a sword!'

His attacker pulled back and slashed at him, and Junjie was forced backwards, blocking and deflecting blow after fury-filled blow. In the light cast from the nearby trees he could see that the fighter had a slight, feminine figure and hair that was short and somehow more pale than her skin, with eyes that flashed silver and teeth that were gritted in anger.

She raised the blade above her head and brought it down with a scream of rage, but Junjie simply stepped aside to avoid it and kicked her legs out from beneath her while she was leaning. She fell heavily to the ground and he hastily jumped down beside her, holding down her sword arm under one leg and pressing her head down so that she couldn't get up.

Her clothes were black, held together by belts and covered almost every inch of her body. Only her head, shoulders, hands and the top third of her thighs were visible. Her body itself was muscular, but only enough to give her an athletic appearance, as she still appeared quiet slim and slender.

"Now that you have a chance to calm down," Junjie said, "perhaps you can tell me why you wished to attack me?"

He turned her head to one side and she glared up at him, seething with hatred. Her age almost stunned him: she was far younger than he had expected. Late teens, perhaps, or early twenties.

"Let me up," she growled. "Let me up so I can kill you!"

The hatred in her eyes was hauntingly familiar. Still holding her down, Junjie looked over at her sword.

It was the jian he had given Teresa over 30 years ago.

"Are you the girl that was sent through the portal?" he asked.

"Yes," she snarled. "And you're the bastard that killed Teresa. Now let me up so I can kill you!"

"With a fighting style like that," said Junjie, "you are far more likely to kill yourself."

He kicked the sword away from her hand.

"I am going to let you up," he told her, "but only if you promise that you won't try to kill me. If you do, I will have to choice but to incapacitate you, and I cannot promise that it will be painless. Is that understood?"

The girl took a deep breath. Her body still buzzed with anger, but she hopefully knew now that she had no choice.

"Fine," she muttered.

Junjie leaned off her and sat down on the ground, and she moved into a sitting position and glared at him.

"I didn't know you had survived the terra portal," he told her. "If I had-"

"Well, I _did_," she said fiercely. "The colour of my hair and eyes didn't, but I've learned to live with that. It's not like I haven't had long enough. Would you say thirteen years is long enough?"

Junjie didn't reply. He knew that whatever he said would induce another rage-filled outburst.

"I was ten years old when you took Teresa from me," she said. "She gave me a reason to live and you snatched her from me and cut me off from her forever. The moment I emerged on the other side of that portal, the moment it closed and almost killed me, I swore to myself that if I ever saw you again, I would pick up that blade and take your head off your shoulders."

"You were never the slightest bit interested in finding out more about me?" Junjie asked.

"Why should I need to?" she demanded. "You killed Teresa! Why the hell would I want to know anything about you?!"

"I considered Teresa a friend," Junjie said calmly. "We may not have met frequently, but I watched her grow from a curious little girl to a proud and fearless warrior, and for that I consider myself more than fortunate. Had I been in control of my body on that day, I would never have made an attempt on her life."

The girl didn't say anything, opting instead to scowl.

"My body was possessed by an evil creature," Junjie explained. "It was a Boon Doc slug that had somehow been corrupted into a monster called a ghoul - a Goon Doc, if you will - and it held me prisoner inside my own mind for longer than I can recall. While it used my body to achieve its ends, I was forced to watch as it laid waste to our world and eradicated our people. I tried many times to break free, but my weak will led to me being suppressed on every attempt. Believe me: if I had a choice, I would be home right now, and both you and Teresa would continue with the lives that you had been leading prior to the Goon's interference."

Her gaze remained on him, made all the more steely by her silvery eyes.

She suddenly stood and snatched up the blade, and stood over Junjie while brandishing it in his face.

"How do I know I can believe you?" she asked. "How do I know you're not just lying to save your own skin?"

"Nothing I have said is a lie," Junjie replied. "Whether or not you choose to believe it is entirely up to you."

He sat and waited, either for her to lower her blade or slash it across his neck.

She chose the former.

"Where can I find this Goon?" she asked. "Tell me so I can run Teresa's blade though its throat."

"You will not find it," said Junjie as he stood to face her properly. "There are ninety-nine caverns in this realm and the Goon is but one slug. Even if you searched for a hundred years, I doubt you would find it."

"But it's worth a try, isn't it?"

Junjie wasn't sure how to respond. It was true that she had every chance of stumbling upon it, and if she had truly remained set on revenge for all the time she had spent in this world then she clearly had a will stronger than iron. Perhaps she would be able to resist the Goon if they were to meet?

"It is," he admitted, "but I cannot guarantee your survival."

"I stopped caring about my survival long ago," the girl said as she sheathed her sword. "I don't want to waste my energy by starting now."

She turned away from the slinger and pulled a cloak out of the undergrowth (presumably it was her removing it that had caused the earlier rustling).

"Are you sure you would not like to join forces with me?" asked Junjie.

The girl paused.

"Believe me," said Junjie, "I would be more than happy to pay back that monster for all the chaos it has caused and to make up for what you lost on that day. With my Slug Fu and your sword fighting prowess and iron will, we could be unstoppable."

She donned the cloak with a flourish.

"Thanks for the offer," she said, "but I work alone. It makes things easier if I don't have anyone to care about."

She pushed a large leaf aside, clearly intending to re-enter the undergrowth.

"My name is Junjie, by the way," Junjie said before she could leave. "You could at least tell me yours before you depart."

It was a few moments before she replied, and even then her voice was quiet and somehow sad.

"Clare," she replied. "It's Clare."

With that, she disappeared into the trees.

Clare. It was a gentle-sounding name. Junjie somehow felt that it wasn't quite suited to such a harsh and fearsome young woman.

But then again, neither was Teresa.

'It will be interesting to see how you advance, Clare,' Junjie considered, and as he made his way back to the Shane residence, his lips curled into a soft, quiet, faint little smile.


End file.
